﻿<p>
 The association relationship <em>IfcRelAssociates</em> refers to sources of information (most notably a 
 classification, library, document, approval, contraint, or material). The information associated may reside 
 internally or externally of the project data. There is no dependency implied by the association.
</p>
<blockquote class="example">
 EXAMPLE&nbsp; Further external information may be provided to the tank equipment (as subtype of <em>IfcProduct</em>) 
 in terms of its classification and instruction documents, the source of the additional information is held external 
 to the project data model.
</blockquote>
<p>
 Association relationships can be established to objects (occurrences as subtypes of <em>IfcObject</em>) or to types 
 (as subtypes of <em>IfcTypeObject</em>). Some associations (such as approval, or document) may also be applied to
 property templates (as subtypes of <em>IfcPropertyDefinition</em>).
</p>
<blockquote class="example">
 EXAMPLE&nbsp; The classification information for the storage tank equipment may be associated to the
 <em>IfcTankType</em> (subtype of <em>IfcTypeObject</em>), defining the specific information for all occurencies of
 that tank in the project. Therefore the association of the Uniclass notation 'L6814' may be associated by a
 subtype of <em>IfcRelAssociates</em> to the type information.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="example">
 EXAMPLE&nbsp; The classification information for a particular space within a building may be associated
 to the <em>IfcSpace</em> object (subtype of <em>IfcObject</em>), defining a particular occurrence of
 space. Therefore the association of the DIN notation 'NF 1.5' may be associated by a subtype of
 <em>IfcRelAssociates</em> to the object.
</blockquote>
<p>
 The association relationship establishs an association between one to many objects or property templates and the
 associated information. The subtypes of <em>IfcRelAssociates</em> establish the particular semantic meaning of the  association relationship.
</p>

<blockquote class="history">
 HISTORY&nbsp; New entity in IFC2x.
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="change-ifc2x4">
 IFC4 CHANGE&nbsp; Entity has been changed into an ABSTRACT supertype
</blockquote>